Longwall mining machine with cutting elements on rotated and reciprocated screw conveyor



May 20, '1969 H. J. VON HIPPEL 3 LQNGWALL MINING MACHINE WITH CUTTINGELEMENTS 0N ROTATED AND RECIPROCATED SCREW CONVEYOR Sheet of 4 FiledJune 26. 1967 May 20, 1969 H. J. VON HIPPEL LONGWALL MINING MACHINE WITHCUTTING ELEMENTS. ON ROTATED AND RECIPROCATED SCREW CONVEYOR Filed June26. 1967 56 52 51/ U/WJ QQQQ @Q Sheet g of 4 FIG. 2a.

INVENTOR BY h Elem kw- ATTORNEY May 20, 1969 H. J. VON HIPPEL 3,445,139LONGWALL MINING MACHINE WITH CUTTING ELEMENTS ON ROTATED ANDRECIPROCATED SCREW CONVEYOR Filed June 26,1967 Sheet 3 014 K\ I I I h II N M Q IN 9 w :h 8

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l h l w Q .3 H )l V V i v be m 5% 82 e M i il l' @gQ @{QQ' Q Q 2%INVENTOR BY MW/hag k ATTORNEY May 20, 1969 H. J. VON HIPPEL 3 LONGWALLMINING MACHINE WITH CUTTING ELEMENTS ON HOT ATED AND RECIPROCATED SCREWCONVEYOR Sheet 4 014 Filed June 26, 1967 INVENTOR hm xmcum m q gATTORNEY United States Patent Int. Cl. E21c 35/20, 13/00; B65g 65/22 US.Cl. 299-43 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mining apparatus,especially for coal mining, having a screw conveyor adapted to bearranged substantially parallel to the face of a coal seam and providedwith at least one cutting tool projecting beyond the periphery of thescrew conveyor, in which the screw conveyor is rotated about its axisand reciprocated in axial direction while the mining apparatus is slowlyadvanced against the face of the coal seam.

Background of the invention In recent years, coal mining has becomehighly mechanized and continuous mining machines have been developed forcutting the coal from the face of a coal seam and for conveying the cutcoal to mine cars or belt conveyors by means of which the cut coal isconveyed to the mouth of the mine.

In longwall mining in which an elongated face of a coal seam is minedover the whole length thereof by cutting apparatus moved along thelength of the face of the coal seam and/or traverse thereto,considerable difficulties are encountered in transporting the coal whichis cut loose from the face of the coal seam in longitudinal direction ofthe latter to conveyors movable in mine shafts extending transverse tothe coal seam at one or opposite sides of the latter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a miningapparatus for cutting coal from the face of a coal seam and forsimultaneously transporting the cut coal in longitudinal direction ofthe face of the coal seam to conveyors extending transverse thereto.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for amining apparatus of the aforementioned kind, especially suitable forlongwall mining in which the face of the coal seam extends over aconsiderable length.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a miningapparatus of the aforementioned kind which can be used regardlesswhether the roof of the coal seam extends in substantially horizontaldirection or in a direction inclined thereto.

Summary of the invention With these objects in view, the miningapparatus according to the present invention mainly comprises screwconveyor means adapted to be arranged substantially parallel to the faceof a coal seam and having a longitudinal axis, at least one cutting toolfixed to the screw conveyor means projecting with a cutting portionthereof in substantially radial direction beyond the periphery of thescrew conveyor means, support means supporting the screw conveyor meansturnable about its axis and movable in axial direction, and drive meansconnected to the screw conveyor means for rotating the same about itsaxis and for reciprocating it in axial direction.

The mining apparatus preferably comprises also moving means connected tosupport means for slowly advancing the latter and the screw conveyormeans carried ice thereby towards the face of the coal seam while thelatter during the mining recedes.

The screw conveyor means, especially for longwall coal mining,preferably comprises a plurality of screw conveyor sectionssubstantially aligned in longitudinal direction, and coupling meansconnected adjacent ends of the plurality of sections for simultaneousrotation and for limited universal tilting movement relative to eachother.

The support means may comprise a plurality of units arranged in a rowsubstantially parallel to the screw conveyor means and linked togetherfor tilting movement about axes substantially normal to the elongationof the screw conveyor means, a plurality of slides respectively arrangedat the ends of adjacent screw conveyor sections, and guide means on eachunit for supporting the slides reciprocable in axial direction. Theguide means are substantially aligned with each other so that the slidesmay be one-by-one placed in and removed from the guide means from oneend of the row of units. The plurality of slides are connected to eachother for simultaneous reciprocating movement and the apparatus may alsoinclude a pair of carriages respectively arranged spaced from oppositeends of the row of units and connected to the units at the opposite endsby bridging members, and the drive means for rotating the screw conveyormeans about its axis and for reciprocating the same in axial directionare preferably arranged on the aforementioned carriages.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectionedside view of a mining apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are partial top views of the mining apparatus drawn to areduced scale and respectively showing opposite end portions of theapparatus; and

FIG. 3 is a partial front view of the screw conveyor means and elementsassociated therewith.

Description 0] the preferred embodiments Referring now to the drawing,it will be seen that the mining apparatus according to the presentinvention mainly comprises elongated screw conveyor means SC adapted tobe arranged substantially parallel to the face F of a coal seam. Aplurality of cutting tools 56 are arranged spaced from each other inaxial direction of the screw conveyor means SC fixedly connected theretoin any convenient manner, projecting in substantial radial directionbeyond the periphery of the screw conveyor and each carrying at thefreed end thereof a cutting portion 56, as best shown in FIG. 1.According to the present invention, the screw conveyor means SC aresupported turnable about the longitudinal axis and movable in axialdirection and they are rotated about the axis and reciprocated in axialdirection as will be explained in detail later on.

The elongated screw conveyor means SC preferably comprises a pluralityof screw conveyor sections substantially aligned in longitudinaldirection and coupled to each other for simultaneous rotation and forlimited universal tilting movement relative to each other. The couplingmeans for coupling the screw conveyor sections at adjacent ends maycomprise, as best shown in FIG. 3, short coupling shafts 60 having atopposite ends thereof two male coupling portions 61 having each aplurality of convexly curved teeth and adapted to engage with femaletoothed coupling portions 62 formed in opposite ends of the screwsections. FIG. 3 shows the right coupling portion 61, as viewed in FIG.3 engaged with the female coupling portion 62 in the adjacent screwconveyor section, whereas the left screw conveyor section, as viewed inFIG. 3, is axially moved so that the female tooth coupling portion 62 isdisengaged from the corresponding male tooth coupling portion 61. Thecoupling shaft 60 is turnably mounted in a bearing 52a, and a pair ofcollars 63 fixed to the coupling shaft and engaging opposite end facesof the bearing 52a prevent axial displacement of the coupling shaft 60relative to tthe bearing. Each of the bearings 52a is mounted on thefree end of an arm 52 (FIG. 1) releasably connected at the other endthereof in any convenient manner, for instance by screws or the like, toa slide 50 and projecting forwardly and downwardly inclined with respectto the latter. The slide 50 has preferably a configuration as best shownin FIG. 3, that is it has a central plate-shaped portion '51 to whichthe arm 52 is attached and elongated portions 53 extending to oppositesides of the plate-shaped portion and being guided along opposite edgesthereof in substantially U-shaped guide means or guide channels 32 asbest shown in FIG. 1. An insert 53 is preferably placed in the lowerguide channel 32 which can be adjusted in vertical direction by screwmeans 37 passing through appropriate threaded openings in the bottomwall of the U-shaped slide 32 so that the vertical clearance of theslide 50 in the pair of U-shaped guide channels 32 may be adjusted.

The guide means or guide channels 32 are supported on a plurality ofunits S hinged together for tilting movement about axes substantiallynormal to the axis of the elongated screw conveyor means SC. Theconstruction of the unit which supports the guide channel 32 does notform part of the present invention and a preferred construction maycomprise, as shown in FIG. 1, a top shield 2 formed with openings 2a and2b therethrough, a bottom plate 4 formed with openings 4a therethroughand rigid supporting means supporting the top shield 2 on the bottomplate 4 downwardly spaced from the roof R of a mine gallery. Theaforementioned rigid supporting means preferably comprise a rear shield6 having forwardly extending top and bottom portions 6a, 6b respectivelyabutting against the bottom face of the top shield 2 and the top face ofthe bottom plate 4, and a pair of preferably tubular front supportingmembers 8, only one of which is seen in FIG. 1. The rear shield 6 aswell as the front supporting members 8 are preferably releasablyconnected at opposite ends to the top shield 2 and bottom plate 4 bybrackets 12 and screws 14 as indicated at the top of the frontsupporting members 8 in FIG. 1. The rear shield 2 may be reinforced byvertical plate members '10 extending between the top and bottom portions6a, 6b of the rear shield and being fixedly connected to these portionsand the downwardly inclined rear shield portion by being, for instance,welded thereto. The guide channels 32 are connected in any convenientmanner to angle irons 34, which in turn are connected by screws and nuts36 to a plate 16 fixed to the front supporting members 8 and extendingover the whole Width of the respective unit. A hinged door 18 ispreferably provided in each plate member 6 to provide access to theslide 50. Each unit preferably comprises further a pair of extensibleand collapsible front prop members 20, of known construction, only oneof which is seen in FIG. 1, having each a cylinder portion 20a and atelescoping piston portion 20b projecting in the extended position, asshown in FIG. 1, through the respective elongated opening 2a in the topshield 2 so that a cap 26 carried at the upper end of the piston portion22b engages the roof R of a mine gallery. The bottom portion 24 of eachcylinder portion 20a extends through the elongated opening 4a in thebottom plate 4 to engage with its serrated bottom face the bottom B orsole of the mine gallery. Each of the front prop members 20 is connectedto the respective shield means and movable with respect thereto bycylinder and piston means having cylinders 38 pivotally connected bymeans of a pivot pin 40 to a bracket 41 fixed to the plate 16, whereasthe piston rods fixed to pistons, not shown in FIG. 1, and respectivelyreciprocably arranged in the cylinders 38 carry on their outer ends ahead 43 which is by means of a pivot pin 42 pivotally connected to thebottom portion 24 of the respective front prop member 20. Each unit orshield means S is advanced toward the face F of the coal seam by feedingpressure fluid into the cylinders 38 cooperating with one front propmeans 20 which is maintained in extended position so that the shieldmeans is slowly advanced toward the face of the coal seam, whereas theother front prop means is maintained in collapsed position and advancedrelative to the advancing shield means.

Each of the shield means preferably comprises als two extensiblycollapsible rear prop members 22 having each a lower cylinder portion22a mounted on the bottom plate 4 and an extensible piston portion 22bhaving an upper portion located in the collapsed position as shown inFIG. 1 within the opening 2b in the top shield 2 and projecting in theextended position, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1, through thisopening into engagement with the roof R.

The plurality of shield units S are arranged in a row adjacent to eachother as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b and adjacent units are hinged to eachother by a pair of hinge means each comprising two spaced bosses 44projecting from one side edge of each bottom plate 4 and a boss 46projecting from the side edge of the unit adjacent thereto between thebosses 44 and connected to each other by a hinge pin 48 having an axissubstantially normal to the axis of the screw conveyor section so thatthe units are coupled together for tilting movement about the axes ofthe pivot pins 48 while being constrained to move together in directionof the axes of the pivot pins.

Each of the caps 26 may also be provided with addi tional coal cuttingmeans comprising a cylinder 28 and a pointed cutting tool or hammer 30connected to the piston reciprocably arranged in the cylinder 28 forloosening during advancing of the unit coal ahead of the cap 26, asdescribed in the aforementioned copending application.

As mentioned above, the elongated conveyor means SC are rotated abouttheir axes and reciprocated in axial direction. Preferably, each of thescrew conveyor sections 54 carries only a single cutting tool 56, or atmost a second cutting tool 57, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 2b,axially spaced from the cutting tool 56 is provided on each screwconveyor section. If only a single cutting tool 56 is provided on eachscrew conveyor section, the screw conveyor means SC is reciprocated inaxial direction for a distance slightly greater than the axial distancea between the cutting tools 56 of adjacent screw conveyor sections 54,and if two cutting tools are provided on each screw conveyor section,the screw conveyor means SC is reciprocated for a distance slightlygreater than the axial spacing b between the cutting tools 56 and 57 oneach section. The guide channels 32 is in adjacent units aresubstantially aligned with each other so that each slide may move duringits recriprocation from the guide channels in one unit to the guidechannel in the unit adjacent thereto.

In order to reciprocate the screw conveyor sections 54 simultaneously inaxial dierction, the slides 50 are con nected to each other for instanceby chain portions 58 which .are connected in any convenient manner atopposite ends to bosses projecting from the arms 52 which are connectedto the slide members 50. The drive means for reciprocating the slides 50in longitudinal direction of the guide channels 32 and for rotating thescrew conveyor means SC about its axis are preferably carried on a pairof carriages 66 located spaced from opposite ends of the row of units Sand connected to the units at opposite ends of the row by bridgingmembers 64a. Each of the bridging members 64 is preferably L-shaped andhinged along one edge portion thereof to the edge portion of the unitadjacent thereto by a pair of hinge means 44, 46, 48 of similarconstruction as the hinge means which hinge adjacent units to eachother, whereas the transverse portion of the L-shaped bridging member 64is hinged by a similar hinge means to the edge of the carriage adjacentthereto. The boss 46 of the last-mentioned hinge means is preferablycarried by the carriage 66 tiltable about a vertical pivot pin 65. Eachbriding member has also a pair of guide channels 32 substantiallyaligned with those of the unit adjacent thereto. Each carriage 66carries an elongated cylinder 76 pivotally connected at one end thereofby means of a pivot pin 77 to the carriage, and the piston rod 78connected to the piston, not shown in the drawing, reciprocable in thecylinder is connected at the free end by a chain portion 58' to theslide 50 of the adjacent unit so that by feeding pressure fiuid into andout from the cylinders 76 on the carriages 66 on opposite sides of therow of units S, the plurality of slides 50 connected to each other bychains and the screw conveyor sections 54 rotatably carried thereby willbe reciprocated in axial direction. The shafts 54a of the screw conveyorsections at opposite ends of the elongated screw conveyor means SC areconnected by a coupling means as above described, respectively, to driveshafts 74 each of which is driven by a motor 70 and a reduction gearing72 mounted on the respective carriage 66. Each of the motors 70 may bemounted on a slide 70a which is reciprocably guided in a dove-tailedguide groove 66a formed in each carriage 66 and extending parallel tothe shaft 74. In this case each shaft 74 has to be connected to itsdrive motor 70 and the coupling at the adjacent end of the screwconveyor means for simultaneous movement in axial direction. On theother hand, the shaft end cooperating with the reduction gearing 72 maybe splined and be connected only with the respective coupling forreciprocation with the screw conveyor means, in which case the drivemotor 70 and gearing 72 may be stationarily mounted on the carriage 66.The wheels 68 of each carriage 66 are arranged on rails extendinglongitudinally through a mine shaft MS, which in turn extendssubstantially normal to the face F of the coal seam which has to bemined. Removable props 82 support the roof of the aforementioned mineshaft, and as the abovedescribed mining apparatus is advanced againstthe receding working face F of the coal seam, the props 82 located inthe path of the bridging member 64 are removed oneby-one in front of thebridging member and replaced in the rear thereof. An elongatedtransporting conveyor 80, for instance a band transporting conveyor,extends longitudinally of the mine shaft beneath the bridging members 64so that the loosened coal transported in axial direction by the screwconveyor SC will drop over a plate 81 onto the band conveyor 80 to betransported to the mouth of the mine shaft MS.

The above-described mining apparatus will be operated as follows. Theplurality of units S carrying the elongated screw conveyor means SC arearranged substantially parallel to the face F of a coal seam to bemined, and the plurality of units are simultaneously advanced toward theface F of the coal seam, while the screw conveyor means is rotated aboutits axis by means of the motors 70 and the gearings 72 connected theretoand simultaneously the screw conveyor means is reciprocated inlongitudinal direction by the cylinder and piston means 76. Each of thescrew sections may have a length of 1.9 m. and a diameter of 700 mm. andif only a single cutting tool 56 is provided on each screw section, thescrew conveyor mean SC is reciprocated through a distance of about 2.2m. in axial direction. The

screw conveyor means is rotated rather fast about its axis and the speedof the cutting tool may be 4 m./sec. The unit may be advanced toward thereceiving mine face with a speed of about 2.5 to 3 m./hour, and theadvancing speed is regulated in such a manner that the cut taken by eachcutting tool is about 3 cm. A plurality of units may be coupled togetherto work a mine face of a length of 200 m. and more, and only two men arenecessary to operate and service the mining apparatus above described.At the aforementioned speeds and assuming a coal seam of a height ofapproximately 1 m., an output of about 2000 tons per 6-hour shift willbe obtained. Evidently, the mining apparatus may be used with the axisof the screw conveyor means substantially horizontal or inclined at anangle to the horizontal depending on the orientation of the coal seam tobe mined. When the axis is inclined at a relatively steep angle thescrew conveyor means will brake movement of the cut coal under theinfluence of gravity.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofmining apparatus diifering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in amining apparatus provided with a screw conveyor and axially spacedcutting tools projecting from the screw conveyor, in which the screwconveyor is rotated about its axis and reciprocated in axial direction,it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since variousmodifications and structural changes may be made without departing inany way from the spirit of the present invention.

While a preferred embodiment for supporting the screw conveyor turnableabout its axis and reciprocable in axial direction has been described,different constructions may 'be used for supporting the screw conveyorin the aforementioned manner.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it to varous applications without omitting features that,from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent andset forth in the appended claims is:

1. A mining apparatus, especially for coal mining, comprising, incombination, screw conveyor means having a longitudinal axis adapted tobe arranged substantially parallel to a face to be mined; a plurality ofcutting tools fixed to said screw conveyor means projecting therefrom inradial direction beyond the periphery of said screw conveyor means;support means supporting said screw conveyor means turnably about saidaxis while maintaining said axis in fixed relation to said support meansand movable in direction of said fixed axis; and drive means connectedto said screw conveyor means for rotating the same about said fixed axisand for reciprocating the same in axial direction.

2. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive meansare substantially aligned with said axis and connected to at least oneend of said screw conveyor means.

3. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 1, and in cluding moving meansconnected to said support means for advancing the latter and said screwconveyor means carried thereby toward the face of the coal seam.

4. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said screw conveyormeans comprises a plurality of screw conveyor sections substantiallyaligned in longitudinal direction, and coupling means connectingadjacent ends of said plurality of sections for simultaneous rotation 7and for limited universal tilting movement relative to eacht other.

5. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said coupling meansare in the form of tooth couplings.

6. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said support meanscomprise a plurality of slides respectively arranged at opposite ends ofsaid screw conveyor sections for supporting the latter turnably abouttheir axes, and guide means supporting said slides reciprocable in axialdirection.

7. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein each of said screwsections carries at most two of said cutting tools spaced in axialdirection from each other, and wherein said drive means includes meansconnected to said plurality of slides for reciprocating the same in saiddirection for a distance greater than the spacing between said twocutting tools.

8. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein each of said screwsections carries only one cutting tool and wherein said drive meansincludes means connected to said plurality of slides for reciprocatingthe same in said direction for a distance greater than the spacingbetween the cutting tool on one screw section and the cutting tool onthe screw section adjacent said one section.

9. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein each of said slidescomprises a substantially vertically arranged plate guided at the topand bottom edge thereof in said guide means, an arm removably connectedat one end thereof to said plate, and a bearing fixed to the other endof said arm and operatively connected to the respective screw conveyorsection for turnably supporting the latter, whereby said arm may beexchanged against an arm of different configuration to support a screwconveyor section of dilferent diameter in proper relation to said guidemeans.

10. A mining apparatus, especially for mining coal, comprising, incombination, screw conveyor means comprising a plurality of screwconveyor sections substantially aligned in longitudinal direction andcoupling means connecting adjacent ends of said plurality of sectionsfor simultaneous rotation and for limited universal tilting movementrelative to each other; at least one cutting tool carried by each ofsaid screw conveyor sections projecting therefrom in radial directionsbeyond the periphery thereof; support means comprising a plurality ofunits arranged in a row substantially parallel to said screw conveyormeans and linked together for tilting movement about tilting axessubstantially normal to the elongation of said screw conveyor means forsimultaneous movement in direction of said tilting axes, and means onsaid units for supporting said screw conveyor sections turnably abouttheir axes and movable in axial direction; and drive means connected tosaid screw conveyor sections for rotating the same about their axes andfor simultaneously reciprocating said sections in axial direction.

11. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said means forsupporting said screw conveyor sections on said units comprise aplurality of slides respectively arranged at opposite ends of adjacentscrew conveyor sections, bearing means connected to said slides androtatably supporting said sections, and guide means on each unit forsupporting said slides reciprocable in axial directions of said screwconveyor sections.

12. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said guide meansare substantially aligned with each other so that said slides may beone-by-one placed in and removed from said guide means from one end ofsaid row of units.

13. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 11, and including connectingmeans connecting said slides for simultaneous reciprocating movementalong said guide means, and wherein said drive means includes meansconnected to the slide which is located at one end of said screwconveyor means for reciprocating said slide and the other slidesconnected thereto.

14. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said connectingmeans comprises chains connecting adjacent slides to each other, andwherein said drive means comprises means arranged at least at one of theopposite ends of said screw conveyor means and connected to the slidesat opposite ends of said screw conveyor means for reciprocating thelatter.

15. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 14, and including at leastone carriage arranged spaced from said one end of said screw conveyormeans and being movable in a mine shaft extending transverse to the faceof said coal seam, said drive means being carried by said carriage, andincluding a bridging member extending between said carriage and the oneunit at said one end of said screw conveyor means and linked to saidcarriage and said one unit tiltable about axes substantially normal tothe elongation of said screw conveyor means.

16. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said drive meanscomprises a drive motor and transmission means connecting said drivemotor to said one of said screw conveyor means for rotating the latter,and fluid operated cylinder and piston means forming said means forreciprocating said screw conveyor means and connected to the slide atone end of said screw conveyor means.

17. A mining apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein a pair ofcarriages are arranged respectively spaced from opposite ends of saidscrew conveyor means, each linked to the respective unit at oppositeends of the screw conveyor means by a bridging member and each carryinga drive motor and transmission means connecting the respective drivemotor to the respective end of the screw conveyor means and fluidoperated cylinder and piston means respectively connected to the slidesat opposite ends of said screw conveyor means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,823,023 2/ 1958 Hlinsky 29987 X3,128,998 4/1964 Sibley 299-71 X 3,314,723 4/ 1967 Mennekes 299-43ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

